Divisible container



t 1966 R. v. JOHNSON ETAL 3,276,667

DIVI S IBLE CONTAINER Filed May 28, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 0 4 14; 15 M5 12 $9 1 4/3-.- L l :17

if E l i 1 INVENTOR RONALD M JOHNSON WA TE'R H. RASMUSSEN /ATTORNEY R. v. JOHNSON ETAL 3,276,667

Oct. 4, 1966 DIVISIBLE CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 28, 1965 ATTORNEY BY Z a? United States Patent 3,276,667 DIVISIBLE CONTAINER Ronald V. Johnson, Bloomington, and Walter H. Rasmussen, St. Paul, Minn., assignors to Waldorf Paper Products Company, St. Paul, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Filed May 28, 1965, Ser. No. 459,627 7 Claims. (Cl. 229-51) This invention relates to an improvement in divisible container and deals particularly with a container having a removable tear strip extending about its periphery so that the upper portion of the container may be removed and the contents of the container may remain contained in a tray.

During recent years, this became increasingly popular in super markets and other such stores to display goods in open-topped trays. Such trays facilitate the handling of small cartons and cans of product, as an entire layer of the product may be moved in unison. Trays of this type also have the advantage of simplifying the stacking of product, particularly in connection with canned goods, as the flat bottom of the tray will rest steadily upon the upper surfaces of a lower layer of similar product. Trays of this type also have the advantage that the walls of the tray may be printed to identify the contents. As an example, a soup manufacturer materially increased the sale of his product by placing the different types of soup in trays, and printing the trays in a manner to identify the product.

It is obvious that any rectangular regular style corrugated container may be converted into a tray by slitting the container wall about its periphery with a knife. However, this is not practical as it is a time-consuming operation, and also as the product is often-times damaged during the slitting process. Tear strips defined by perforated lines through the corrugated board may also be used so that by removing the tear strip, the container is divided into a cover portion and a tray. By removing the cover portion, the contents are exposed for display. Unfortunately, the use of perforated lines encircling the walls of the containers weaken the walls of the container to such an extent that the containers are not acceptable for shipping.

One style of tear strip has been employed which has been found acceptable by the railroads and the truck lines. This is the construction disclosed in US. Patent 2,706,076, issued April 12, 1955, to Reynolds Guyer. This patent discloses the idea of slitting the inside liner of the corrugated board along two side-by-side parallel lines without impairing the strength of the corrugated medium. The patent also covers the idea of providing similar side-byside out lines in the outside liner of the container.

One difficulty has been experienced with tear strips of this type. When the tear strip is removed, it usually leaves a ragged or uneven edge which is not particularly attractive when it is to provide the upper edge of a display tray. If cut lines are provided in the outer liner as well as the inner liner, this difficulty may be eliminated. However, containers which have both the inner and outer liners slit are weakened, and may not be acceptable for rail and truck shipping.

It has been found that by feeding the outside liner from two supply reels so that the two webs overlap to a small degree and by adhering the overlapped portions of the web together over at least a portion of their areas, an effective tear strip can be produced if the inner liner is slit substantially opposite an edge of the overlapped area. By locating the overlapping areas of the liner web along the upper edge of the tray to be formed, when the tear strip is removed, the removed portion will tear off cleanly along the upper edge of this reinforced area. As a result, the display tray which is formed, is formed with a clean upper "ice edge, eliminating the ragged edge previously encountered with a tear strip of this type.

It has been found that the tear strip will also work effectively if the slits in the inner liner are located with the lower slit slightly below the upper edge of the reinforced area, if the two overlapping liners are not adhered together in the area outwardly of the tear strip or if the overlapping area is adhered together with an adhesive with wax base which will separate under tension. With this arrangement, as the tear strip is removed, it flexes outwardly the upper edge of the liner covering the bottom of the tray, and then returns to normal upwardly extending position after the tear strip has been removed. With this arrangement, the upper edge of the lower portion of the liner extends slightly above the remaining plies of the corrugated paperboard, this straight edge hiding from view any irregularities in the remaining plies of the corrugated board.

An added feature of the present invention lies in the fact that, if desired, the outer surface of the container may be made to identify the container as a tray-type enclosure. For example, the liner which will form the lower portion of the container may be white in contrast with the natural kraft color of the corrugated liner, or may be of a contrasting color. Thus, with virtually no added expense, a two-tone container may be formed so that when the tear strip is removed and the cover discarded, a single-color tray is formed. The contrasting colors of the two liners may immediately identify the container as one from which a tray may be formed.

These and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of the specification,

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a container in closed condition.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the container after the tear strip has been removed and the upper portion of the container discarded.

FIGURE 3 is a diagrammatic view of the blank from which the container is formed.

FIGURE 4 is a section view through the tear strip area of the container in greatly enlarged form, the position of the section being indicated by the line 44 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a section similar to FIGURE 4, showing the tear strip partially removed.

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 but showing a slightly modified form of construction.

FIGURE 7 shows -a structure similar to that shown in FIGURE 6 when the tear strip is partially removed.

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view through the upper edge of the tray formed with the construction illustrated in FIGURES 6 and 7, the position of the section being indicated by the line 88 of FIGURE 2.

I In the formation of corrugated paperboard, the corrugated medium is first adhered to one of the liners. The single-face corrugated board thus formed is allowed to at least partially dry, and the second liner is adhered tothe flutes of the corrugated opposite the first liner. In this process, the adhesive is applied to the flutes of the corrugated board rather than to the liner, as in this case, the adhesive is applied only to the small areas of actual contact rather than to the entire surface of the liner.

. In some instances, one of the liners may be formed of two separate webs, particularly where the width of the corrugated web is to form two or more separate container blanks, the two liner webs being attached in side-by-side relation usually at the point where the corrugated web is to be longitudinally slit. Care is normally taken to prevent the two liner webs from overlapping to any material degree, as the overlapping areas of the web are not adhered together due to the fact that the adhesive is only on the corrugated medium. We have found that by purposely overlapping the edges of the two liners, and applying adhesive to one of the overlapping surfaces, a reinforced area in the web may be provided which may be used for certain advantageous purposes.

The blank A which is illustrated in FIGURE 3 of the drawings is generally conventional in appearance; including a side wall panel 10, an end wall panel 11, a second side wall panel 12, and a second end wall panel 13, which are connected together along parallel lines of fold 14, 15, and 16. A glue or stitch flap 17 is hingedly connected to an end edge of the blank at the panel 13 along fold line 19.

Top closing flaps 20, 21, 22, and 23 are hingedly connected to the upper edges of the wall panels 10, 11, 12, and 13 along a fold line 24 which intersects the previously described fold lines at right angles. Bottom closure flaps 25, 26, 27, and 29 are similarly connected to the lower edges of the wall panels Ill, 11, 12, and 13, respectively, along a line of fold 36. When the stitch or glue flap 17 is secured in overlapping relation with the outer edge of the wall panel 10, a tubular regular style container is formed. In usual practice, the top flaps and 22, as well as the bottom flaps and 27, are of a length to meet in edge-abutting relation at the center of the top closure. In order that the blank be substantially rectangular, the end wall flaps are of the same length as the side wall flaps and terminate in spaced relation when folded into a common plane.

A tear strip or potential tear strip is indicated at 30 extending the full length of the blank in a direction transversely of the corrugations. With reference to FIGURES 4 and 5 of the drawings, an enlarged section through the corrugated board is shown, the section being taken on a plane parallel to the flutes of the corrugated board. The corrugated board includes an inner liner 31 which will form the inner wall of the container, a corrugated medium 32 which is adhered between the liners, and a pair of outer liner sheets 33 and 34 which overlap longitudinally of the web, providing a double thickness liner area. Adhesive 35 is applied between at least portions of the overlapping areas. In some cases, the area of adhesive which is applied terminates short of the upper edge of the lower liner 34 so as not to be extruded from between the overlapped areas and by the appearance of the outer surface of the container adjoining the overlapped area, and to extend only to the edge of the overlapped area when compressed. The overlapped area is located at the upper edge of the wall of the tray to be formed.

The inner liner 31 is provided with two longitudinally extending weakened lines of separation which are usually longitudinal slits extending through the liner 31, and which are preferably formed in the liner before this liner is adhered to the corrugated medium 32. The slitting wheels may be peripherally nicked to provide a short unsevered area if desired, these unsevered areas connecting the removable portion 42 of the liner 31, which is located between the slits, to the remainder of the liner long enough to prevent the intermediate strip from becoming misaligned during its adhesion to the corrugated medium. In the arrangement illustrated, the lower slit 37 is substantially aligned with the upper end edge 39 of the lower liner web 34. The upper slit 40 is spaced above the lower slit a distance sufficient to provide a tear strip 30 of a desired width. As is indicated in FIGURE 3 of the drawings, short converging slits 41 are provided in the edge of the side wall panel 10 terminating along the slits 37 and 40 so that the end portion of the removable tear strip 30 can be grasped and pulled outwardly.

If desired, the lower liner web 34 may be of a color which constrasts with the color of the liner 33. For example, the upper liner may be natural kraft color while the lower liner 34 may be white, blue, or any other desired color to provide a contrast. Furthermore, the lower liner 34 may be coated with a polyolefin film to provide a more lasting protection for the tray. Additionally, the outer surface of the lower liner 34 may be printed to provide indicia 41 to indicate the nature of the contents of the container.

In operation, in opening the container, the end of the tear strip 30 is grasped and pulled outwardly. The area 42 of the liner 41 which is between the slits 37 and 40 pulls through the corrugated medium 32 and then through the upper liner 33. While containers of the type described in the above-mentioned US. Patent 2,706,076 have been successfully used for many years, they normally do not tear with a clean straight edge in the outer liner, and the edges of the tear strip are somewhat ragged. However, by locating the tear strip adjoining the reinforced double thickness area of the outer liner, the tear strip tears cleanly along the upper edge 39 of the lower liner 34, providing an edge which is suitable for the display tray shown in FIGURE 2. After removing the tear strip 30, and discarding the upper portion of the container, the tray and the contents of the container appear as indicated in this figure.

FIGURES 6, 7, and 8 show a slight modification of the structure shown in FIGURES 4 and 5. In this arrangement, the corrugated board also includes an inner liner 44, a corrugated medium 45, an upper liner web 46, and a lower liner web 47, the upper edge 49 of the lower web 47 overlapping and overlying the lower edge 50 of the upper web 46. An area of adhesive 51 is provided between the overlapping portions of the webs, the adhesive area terminating along a line 52 which is spaced somewhat below the upper edge 49 of the lower liner web 47. A tear strip is formed by providing a pair of slits or weakened lines of separation through the inner liner 44, the lower slit 53 being substantially aligned with the line 52 defining the upper edge of the adhesive strip or area 51. The upper slit 54 is spaced above the slit 53 a distance sufiicient to provide a removable tear strip of a desired width. The slits 53 and 54 define as intermediate strip 55 in the liner 44 which may be pulled through the corrugated medium and the upper liner 46 forming a part of the outer surface of the container.

With this arrangement, when the pull strip is engaged and pulled outwardly, the removable strip 55 in the inner liner 44 cuts through the corrugated medium 45 and the outer liner web 46 along the reinforced area. As indicated in FIGURE 7, this causes the unadhered upper edge 57 of the lower liner portion 47 to flex outwardly during the removal of the strip. This edge tends to return to its normal upright position after the tear strip has been removed. Separation of the outer liner portion 46 normally takes place along the upper edge 52 of the adhesive-coated area due to the fact that the outer liner is reinforced below this line by the adherence of the overlapping portions of the liner webs 46 and 47. The action is somewhat similar to placing a straight edge along the edge of the reinforced area before removing the tear strip.

The purpose of this arrangement is to provide a tray in which the naturally straight upper edge of the outer liner 47 extends slightly above the upper edges of the outer liner 46, corrugated medium 45, and inner liner 44 after the tear strip is removed. This straight upper edge tends to conceal any irregularities in the upper edge of the tray. FIGURE 8 illustrates, in exaggerated form, the manner in which the upwardly projecting end portion 57 extends somewhat above the level of the remainder of the tray edge.

In the foregoing description, it has been stated that the upper edge 52 of the adhesive-coated area 51 terminates 'below the upper edge 49 of the lower liner portion 47. It is also possible to employ an adhesive connecting virtually the entire overlapping area if the adhesive is of a type which will separate rather easily when the tear strip is removed. The lower edge of the removable area 55 in the inner liner 44 has a general tendency to cut straight through the corrugated medium and upper portion 46 of the outer liner, and the upper edge portion 57 of the lower liner still tends to become detached from the lower portion of the upper liner 46' during separation. However, the structure illustrated in the drawings has proved somewhat superior.

In accordance with the patent statues, we have described the principles of construction and operation of our improvement in divisible containers; while we have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, we desire to have it understood that obvious changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of our invention.

We claim:

1. A container which is designed to form a contentssupporting tray including:

a sheet of corrugated paperboard cut and creased parallel to the flutes of the corrugated paperboard to provide a side wall, an end wall, a second side Wall, and a second end wall connected along parallel lines of fold,

bottom closure flaps hin-gedly connected to the lower edges of said walls and adapted to fold into superposed relation to form a bottom closure,

the corrugated paperboard including an inner liner,

a corrugated medium, and an outer liner,

said outer liner comprising a pair of liner sheets including an upper liner sheet forming the upper outer surface of the container walls and a lower liner adapted to form the lower outer surface of the container walls,

an edge of said lower liner overlapping an edge of said upper liner and being adhesively connected thereto over at least a portion of its area,

the inner liner including a tear strip defined by two side-by-side weakened lines of separation, one of which is generally in opposed relation to said edge of said lower liner and the other of which is in opposed relation to the upper liner and spaced from said overlapped area, whereby when said tear strip is removed by pulling outwardly said tear strip to cut through said corrugated medium and the portion of said upper liner lying outwardly thereof, the lower portion of the container will have the overlapped area along its upper edge.

2. A container which is designed to form a contentssupporting tray including:

a sheet of corrugated paperboard cut and creased parallel to the flutes of the corrugated-paperboard to provide a side wall, an end wall, a second side wall, and a second end wall connected along parallel lines of fold,

bottom closure flaps hingedly conected to the lower edges of said walls and adapted to fold into superposed relation to form a bottom closure,

the corrugated paperboard including an inner liner,

a corrugated medium, and an outer liner,

said outer liner comprising a pair of liner sheets including an upper sheet forming the upper outer surface of the container walls and a lower liner adapted to form the lower outer surface of the container walls,

an edge of said lower liner overlapping an edge of said upper liner and being adhesively connected thereto over at least a portion of its area, said overlapping edges forming a two-ply reinforced strip extending transversely of the flutes of the corrugated medium throughout the length of the sheet,

the inner liner including a removable strip defined by two spaced side-by-side weakened lines of separation,

one of said weakened lines of separation being generally opposed to an edge of said reinforced strip most remote from said bottom flaps, and the other weakened line is located at a greater distance from said bottom flaps.

3. The structure of claim 2 and in which said upper and lower liners are of contrasting color.

4. The structure of claim 2 and in which said one weakened line is in substantially opposed relation to said edge of the lower liner.

5. The structure of claim 2 and in which said one weakened line of separation is in opposed relation to a portion of said overlapping edges spaced from said edge of said lower liner.

6. A tray produced as the result of removing a tear strip encircling a container, the tray including:

parallel side walls and parallel end walls secured in tubular relation,

closure flaps hinged to the lower edges of said side and end walls and secured in superposed relation to form a bottom closure,

the tray being composed of corrugated paperboard including an inner liner, a corrugated medium, and an outer liner, and

a reinforcing strip adhered between the outer liner and the corrugated medium only along the upper edges of said side walls.

7. The structure of claim 6 and in which the outer liner extends a short distance above the upper edges of the reinforcing strip, the corrugated medium, and the inner liner.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,706,076 4/ 1955 Guyer 297-5 1 2,751,964 6/1956 Guyer 2295l X 3,136,474 6/ 1964 Schaus ct al. 2295 1 3,203,618 8/1965 Andrews et al. 22951 X I FOREIGN PATENTS 458,375 12/ 1936 Great Britain.

GEORGE O. RALSTON, Primary Examiner, 

1. A CONTAINER WHICH IS DESIGNED TO FORM A CONTENTSSUPPORTING TRAY INCLUDING: A SHEET OF CORRUGATED PAPERBOARD CUT AND CREASED PARALLEL TO THE FLUTES OF THE CORRUGATED PAPERBOARD TO PROVIDE A SIDE WALL, AN END WALL, A SECOND SIDE WALL, AND A SECOND END WALL CONNECTED ALONG PARALLEL LINES OF FOLD, BOTTOM CLOSURE FLAPS HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO THE LOWER EDGES OF SAID WALLS AND ADAPTED TO FOLD INTO SUPERPOSED RELATION TO FORM A BOTTOM CLOSURE, THE CORRUGATED PAPERBOARD INCLUDING AN INNER LINER, A CORRUGATED MEDIUM, AND AN OUTER LINER, SAID OUTER LINER COMPRISING A PAIR OF LINER SHEETS INCLUDING AN UPPER LINER SHEET FORMING THE UPPER OUTERSURFACE OF THE CONTAINER WALLS AND A LOWER LINER ADAPTED TO FORM THE LOWER OUTER SURFACE OF THE CONTAINER WALLS, AN EDGE OF SAID LOWER LINE OVERLAPPING AN EDGE OF SAID UPPER LINER AND BEING ADHESIVELY CONNECTED THERETO OVER AT LEAST A PORTION OF ITS AREA, THE INNER LINER INCLUDING A TEAR STRIP DEFINED BY TWO SIDE-BY-SIDE WEAKENED LINES OF SEPARATION, ONE OF WHICH IS GENERALLY IN OPPOSED RELATION TO SAID EDGE OF SAID LOWER LINER AND THE OTHER OF WHICH IS IN OPPOSED RELATION TO THE UPPER LINER AND SPACED FROM SAID OVERLAPPED AREA, WHEREBY WHEN SAID TEAR STRIP IS REMOVED BY PULLING OUTWARDLY SAID TEAR STRIP TO CUT THROUGH SAID CORRUGATED MEDIUM AND THE PORTION OF SAID UPPER LINER LYING OUTWARDLY THEREOF, THE LOWER PORTION OF THE CONTAINER WILL HAVE THE OVERLAPPED AREA ALONG ITS UPPER EDGE. 